Category: Personal Branding

Personal Branding

8 Steps on How to Market Yourself as a Logo Designer

on December 28, 2019

Every 2 of 3 successful businesses have their heart craving for “Marketing.” Success or failure of any industry – be it of a logo designer, content creator, clothing brand, or what so ever – highly depends on its marketing strategy!

Marketing starts when a brand introduces its product and promotes it to its potential customers.  Without proper marketing, you could be having the best products available in the market, but no one will buy it because they would have never heard of it.

Importance of Marketing

Many companies and brands have been forced to shut down because of enormous losses, which only happened due to poor marketing. Following are some of the reasons to explain why marketing is vital for designers.

  • It gets your name out to the world and makes you famous.
  • It helps in boosting up levels of your sales.
  • It increases the reputation of your company.
  • It gives you healthy competition, which will never let your customers get bored of your brand.
  • It builds credibility and the right customer to brand relationship.

8 Tips to Market Yourself as a Logo Designer

In this world of designers and creators, marketing is the best way to take your name out in the world. It is the main element for growing your client base. But the question is how to figure it out. There are no ready-made tricks for getting your name out there in a blink, but sure there are some effective techniques to do so. Scroll below to read on the 8 tips on how to market yourself as a designer.

1. Define your Identity

To build a successful brand, the first and most crucial point is to know your own self. Define who you are and what is your identity. Define the type of work you could portray best. Which kind of industry would you target? These are the list of questions which will help you define your identity as a logo designer:-

  1. What is the vision behind your brand?
  2. Why must the audience choose you and not others?
  3. What is nature (type) of your brand?
  4. What are your specializations?
  5. Who will be your ideal customers?
  6. As a designer, what are your most active skills?
  7. How are you going to describe your work?
  8. How will you convince your clients?

The answers to these questions will define you and your work. It will let you have a clear and wholesome idea about your brand, its personality, and your targeted goals. Once you are done with making your identity as a logo designer, you are ready for the second step.

2. Create your Point of Difference (POD)

Before answering this question to your customers, first of all, you need to tell this answer to yourself. What sets you apart compared to the other logo designers in the market, why would the audience choose you? Once you get a clear answer in your mind, now show this to your targeted audience. Your point of difference will work as a critical stimulant to attract your audience. It will differentiate you from the other logo designers. The only reason why will a client choose you will be based on your point of difference, make sure that it is convincing enough that the client couldn’t turn away after looking at your profile. Make this strategy as the central part of your branding.

3. Be authentic

You must have heard it; honesty is always the best policy. Do not ever market something that you cannot do. Pretending to be an expert at designing iconic logo designs and not being able to deliver the best quality will hit you back as a doom. By plastering your profile with pictures of award-winning logo designs and giving your clients the most affordable logo designing packages is an excellent strategy to bring in customers, but failing at delivering the best quality work will mark you as a noncredible designer in your client’s eyes. Moreover, having bad reviews about your activities will end up failing your band eventually.

4. Build your audience

It is hard to build an audience when you start online logo design services. But always remember that success lies inconsistency. Do not give up if, in the beginning, you are not gaining as many clients as you had expected, revise your brand strategy, give your business some time to build credibility, and never deliver anything less than 100%. Finally, wait and look at your brand’s growth!

Moreover, take advantage of social media and promote yourself. Look for connections on LinkedIn, follow the people on Instagram, invite people to like your Facebook page, and give and take shout outs every now and then. These are some really effective strategy and works 100%.

5. Start your very Own Design Blog

Starting your own blog is the best way to market yourself. Update your blog with snippets of your design every single day, add some personal projects, write about the services you can provide, talk about designing professional logo designs. This strategy will help you in maximizing your online presence; plus, it will give you exposure within your own industry. Cherry on top of your, clients will see you as an experienced and old pro logo designer. Check out sites of already established logo designers.

6. Master the follow-up

Delivering or posting about the best quality work is not just enough in this advanced era. Making an engaged social media account is more essential than starting the business. Once you have worked with a client, do not let them forget about you. Send the clients personalized notes, greeting, and emails about your promotions and discount offers. Just remember not to irritate them by spamming their email. Showing warm gestures like sending greetings will always make the client remember you and your work; plus, they will also refer your brand to others as well.

It is rightly said, don’t wait around for clients to get back to you. Create a balance between locating new leads and also engaging with past ones. Past customers are always great to re-approach. Since they have already worked with you, there will be fewer barriers to re-entry. Try to get in touch with the customers with whom people you have not heard from in a long while and look if they have any upcoming projects. Do not feel reluctant to ask for referrals, as your clients must be knowing similar businesses and will be happy to recommend you if you have impressed them with your work.

7. Harvest client testimonials

Another of the best marketing technique to get a good number of clients is by showing testimonials to your targeted audience. Ask your clients to write about their great experience they have had while working with you, show their affidavits to the world. Just ask your clients to make a simple tweet or post a Facebook status, even as little as this would be enough.

8. Don’t forget to market yourself offline

Finally, the last one, marketing, is not just done online; for logo designers marketing your work offline is equally important. You can always arrange meetups, conferences, workshops and industry events. These are the great opportunities to meet other professionals and get your name out in the market.

Conclusion

“Good content isn’t about good storytelling. It’s about telling a true story well.” – Ann Handley

It is never enough to be only good at something; being ‘good’ won’t attract clients. Marketing is equally important or perhaps even more important than the work itself. Unless you won’t tell the world out there about your expertise how will they know it! Many designers are very confident about their skills, but when it comes to establishing and promoting them, they get jitters. Yes, there is no easy way of promoting yourself as a logo designer, but with consistency and hard work, you can achieve all you have dreamt about.

Good Luck!

Personal Branding

Working Women and the Appropriate Fitness Tips

on December 24, 2019

Just because you are handling both your work front as well as your home does not mean that you will not work on your health and concentrate on remaining fit. This is one of the most important reasons as to why most of the women nowadays are a victim of poor fitness as well as obesity. You have to understand that if you are not working on your body, there can be several complications associated as you start growing older. You have to concentrate on your body and follow certain important fitness tips that will help you to remain fit and healthy. Given below is a list of the important fitness tips that you need to consider following even if you are extremely busy. 

Stay active

Try to walk and talk with hands-free as much as possible. Stand up during the meetings and keep standing when you are working if you are not doing any work of typing. Take a walk during the lunch break. Keep taking short breaks so that you can keep walking around for 1 minute before you go back to your desk and start working again. There are several options available for keeping yourself active throughout the entire day. All you have to do is concentrate on making your mind ready for remaining active constantly. According to https://www.entrepreneur.com, to stay healthy, spending quality time with the family is important. 

Store the house with snacks

When you have the habit of eating something or the other throughout the entire day, it is a good idea to store something healthy. Healthy snacks rescue you when you are hungry and will not harm your health. You can also consider carrying healthy snacks to the office to get rid of hunger pangs. It is a good idea to store healthy snacks as they can help in staying away from unwanted lifestyle diseases. 

Create an ideal exercise pattern

Choose a pattern that is going to be convenient for you. Consider adapting to various exercises associated with strength training. Do this for 20 minutes every week along with running and walking, and this will help in toning the entire body. 

Eat proper breakfast

Working women need to maintain an ideal diet with workouts to make sure that they are healthy. You need to include fresh fruits, which contain glucose in your breakfast. Apart from that, it is also a great idea to include dry fruits, as they are capable of providing a lot of energy. 

Use a treadmill

Doing a treadmill for 10 minutes can be extremely beneficial for health. Make sure that you are setting the speed in such a manner so that you are brisk walking. Consider doing one set of tricep extensions, bicep curls, and side laterals when you are walking. This will help in toning the upper body and also make sure that the heart is pumping smoothly. Wearing boob tapes can help in keeping your breasts in place when you are working out. Go through the website of Babe Appeal to know more. 

Techniques of crunches

Most women are responsible for using their neck muscles more in comparison to the abs when they are doing crunches. You need to understand that this practice is nothing but a waste of time. You have to consider concentrating on your abdominal muscles. It is important to brush your tongue against the roof of the mouth before you are starting the crunches. 

Drink water

Water is necessary to make sure that your body keeps functioning perfectly. Irrespective of what you are doing, you cannot forget to drink water. Make sure that your body remains hydrated because dehydration can make you fall sick. 

Chart the progress that you are making

To ensure that you are staying motivated and focused, you have to consider making a fitness card for yourself. This will help you to keep track of the progress that you are making every month. Apart from that, you can remain motivated and also notice the improvements that you are constantly making. 

Reduce the intake of carbs

Make sure that you are reducing the intake of carbs like honey, white rice, chocolates, and cookies. When you are eating food that is rich in carbs, it is going to boost the level of blood sugar and will also help in producing insulin, which is going to make you unhealthy. To make sure that you are not doing this, try to reduce the intake of carbohydrates as much as you can. 

Do not overdo anything

It is significant to understand that you do not require more than a single hour of fitness and health training. However, it is also suggested that you concentrate on more than a single form of exercise. Concentrate on important and limited exercises and make sure that you are completing within one hour to ensure that you are not overdoing anything. Also, you can consider doing things that will help in making the training session effective and fun. 

Remain flexible

As a working woman, it might not be possible for you to stick to a single routine constantly. It is important to know that you can be flexible. As opposed to sticking to the routine, you need to ensure that you are making up your mind to visit the gym when you are free. This will make sure that you are not losing interest in your workout session. It does not matter when you exercise. What matters is that you are exercising. This can help you to remain healthy and fit. 

Workout with a friend

It has been observed that most women do not feel like working out because they are doing it all alone. It is always a good idea to exercise with a friend. When you are exercising with someone you know it will be easy to achieve the goals as well as remain motivated. Apart from that, working out with friends is not only fun but also cool. 

Stretching is important

Warming your muscles up before you are starting your exercise routine is a must. Warming up will help in preventing muscle injuries while working out. Therefore, before you are starting any routine, make sure that you are starting at the lowest possible speed and concentrating on increasing the speed gradually. 

Conclusion

Work is important but you should not forget that you have to take care of your health as well. Follow the fitness tips that have been mentioned above so that you can work as well as remain healthy.

Digital BrandingPersonal Branding

6 Steps On How To Start Your Own Video Production

on December 17, 2019

The Internet has rapidly gravitated to creative video. There are few websites now that don’t incorporate some type of video into the mix, and it’s much more cost-effective than how the big television networks used to do things. A simple “nobody” can reach celebrity status with just one good video. Bearing that in mind, here’s how you can start your own video production company in a way that’s economical and less stressful for you.

1. Create a Website

Your video production company will need a website. No matter what area of video production you’re working in or how elaborate it’s going to be, it needs a website so that it can reach out to prospective customers. It’s that simple. Any kind of business or even personal venture that you want to share with others can be shared via a website. The world is watching.

2. Name and LLC

The name of your website should be the name of your company if possible. If it’s not possible, pick something as close to the name of your company as you can get. Your company name is probably the single most important part of your reputation. It needs to be a name people can easily remember and associate with the heart of your mission. You’ll also want to legally file the company as an LLC or get a lawyer who can help you take care of the paperwork. Start a business bank account, and also look into business insurance.

3. Rent Equipment

Most new video production startups prefer to rent equipment rather than buy. The reason for this is pretty obvious. Quality video equipment is often so expensive to buy that you likely won’t have enough money right off the bat to buy the best of the best video equipment, but you can rent the equipment, make a profitable video with quality equipment, and then later on when you’ve got a lot of money, you can buy.

4. Portfolio Online

Keep a portfolio of your videos online. If you’ve only shot a couple of videos, that’s completely okay. Show them examples of your best stuff. All startups have a point where they’re spread thin on content. It’s at this stage that you could even create a couple of videos just to showcase your abilities. You never know. Sometimes those first videos will become your most memorable of all.

5. Video Production Gear

What kind of background do you want? Do you have to hire actors? How about lighting? You’re going to need to either rent or buy video production gear. If you’re starting a video production company, you likely have a background in this subject, but if you’re just a freelancer, for now, you might want to research what kind of production gear you need to make your videos the best they can be. Every project is going to differ, and efficiency will figure into just how much money you make in your bottom line. Create a list of video production gear you’ll need for your first 10 videos. Go from there.

6. Invest in a Go-to Camera

A base camera is at the heart of every good video production company. You’re going to need that base equipment whenever inspiration hits and you feel like you have a good idea for a video on hand. Sometimes there isn’t time to rush out and rent the equipment. You need it now. The more content you have on your website, the better. Mirrorless cameras are popular right now, as are 4K cameras. You can customize your base camera and always have it ready to go when you want to capture something for your audience.

If you follow all of these brief tips on how to start your own video production company, you’re going to be mightily happy about the results. Soon you’ll have your business accounts up and running, your website will start to get visitors, and your audience is going to grow daily. Hiring a good SEO company to optimize your website is sometimes a wise decision as well, as your Internet reach will in large part determine your success when starting a Brisbane Video Production Goliath.

Digital BrandingLocal BrandingPersonal Branding

7 Reasons Why You Need A Dedicated Marketing Campaign Management

on December 17, 2019

Needless to say, the sales structure and funnel of a business is one of the most important processes for a business. It allows for a smooth transition from questioning to buying for a client in a way that incentivizes them to buy more. If structured correctly, the sales process of a business can lead a client to purchase something without them realizing they were in a sales process. However, as important as this is, the marketing structure of a business is arguably more important. Let’s think about it. Even if a business has the most proven sales structure in place, not having qualified leads come to that sales process wouldn’t make it effective. This is where the importance of marketing campaign management comes into play.

Campaign management allows for the oversight of a campaign to make necessary adjustments to attract the most purchase-ready clients. That said, there is one major drawback to campaign management that many businesses and their owners ignore. The drawback is that most campaign management processes that businesses have aren’t dedicated. Dedicated management of marketing campaigns takes the “dirty work” that goes into campaign oversight and allows a business to focus on other areas of improvement. As if that wasn’t enough of a reason to consider getting this process, here are seven more reasons why you need dedicated marketing management.

#1: It Centralizes All Marketing Processes

As any campaign manager would know, many components go into sustaining the success of a campaign. From managing ROI to predictive analysis, management can be somewhat overwhelming to manage. However, with a proven dedicated campaign market intelligence tool such as ScoutMI, these processes can all be centralized. In other words, this means that all your marketing processes can be streamlined to one management hub for easy control and interaction.

#2: It Can Be Personalized

Perhaps the most compelling reason why you need a dedicated marketing campaign management is that it can be personalized. Personalization and customization are two significant factors that aren’t present in traditional campaign management. As we can imagine, this slows down the management speed in which processes can be implemented in a traditional campaign. This simply isn’t the case with dedicated management.

#3: It Can Be Easily Restructured

One of the misunderstandings about dedicated management that pushes some businesses away from it is that there are limits to structuring. This stems from another misconception that dedicated management doesn’t offer the same control over a campaign than traditional management does. However, this couldn’ be further from the truth. One of the most impactful benefits of dedicated management is that it can be easily restructured at any point. This makes it easy for businesses that find their selves within an unexpected marketing predicament.

#4: It Can Be Efficiently Automated

Nowadays, most campaigns require constant upkeep to sustain success. However, the reality of the situation is that 24/7 maintenance of a campaign simply isn’t possible with physical managers. Nonetheless, rest assured knowing that dedicated management can be efficiently automated. Even better, they can be left on autopilot according to any time frame, campaign settings, and requirements you establish to meet the needs of your campaign.

#5: It Highlights Campaign Weaknesses

One of the main duties of campaign management is finding weaknesses within them and making adjustments to them. However, many of these weaknesses are found deep within the inner processes of a campaign. This makes finding weaknesses a tedious process for managers. That said, with dedicated management, weaknesses are highlighted so that you don’t have to go looking for them.

#6: It Factors In Competitive Analysis

Competitive analysis another necessary component of managing a marketing campaign, This process gives detailed insights as to what specific changes need to be made to overcome the competition. If only more businesses knew that dedicated management factored this process into their campaign oversight, it’s safe to say that more businesses would be persuaded by it.

#7: It Is A Cost-Effective Marketing Investment

As a whole, there is no reason not to get dedicated management of your marketing campaign considering it is a cost-effective investment to make. When we compare the returns it provides against any initial costs it takes to acquire dedicated management, the results are worlds apart. Overall, keep in mind that your competitors are more than likely using dedicated management to keep a competitive advantage over you.

Local BrandingPersonal Branding

Essential Tips for Designing Corporate Uniforms

on December 9, 2019

With regard to corporate uniforms, designing can be quite a challenging process. There are plenty of factors to consider such as textures, colors, styles, fabrics, and even accessories. All of these play a huge role in the design process and it’s imperative that you get the perfect combination. Dressing your employees with comfortable, up-to-date outfits can help exude an air of confidence around them and this can translate to increased sales and productivity.

A well-designed corporate uniform not only benefits your employees, but it can also help improve your brand image. Company workwear is fundamental to the image you portray to your clients and you certainly want to leave a positive first impression. If it’s your first time designing uniforms or if you’re not quite sure how to go about it, here are a couple of essential tips you should follow to help you get started.

Comfort is key

Good looks are essential when designing corporate uniforms, but that doesn’t mean comfortability should be compromised. Ensuring that the uniforms fit the employee properly is just as important as how good they look when wearing it. When designing corporate uniforms, consider their work environment and the type of work they’re performing. You’ll want the uniform to protect your employees from the elements as well as offer them enough mobility when they start working.

The quality of the fabrics, the cuts, and the overall design will affect how comfortable the uniforms will be. If your employees are working in humid environments, breathable fabrics such as nylon and polyester are great for keeping them cool while at work. On the other hand, if your employees operate in colder temperatures, thicker fabrics like wool and cotton will help keep them warm and insulated. In terms of fit, it’s best to get an accurate body measurement to ensure that the uniforms fit properly.

Your employees will be able to focus more on the task at hand if they’re wearing uniforms that look good and are comfortable to wear. If not, they’ll end up getting stressed over how horrible their outfits are, which can lead to decreased motivation and productivity at work.

The quality of the materials matter

Some companies use poor quality materials when designing uniforms as a cost-cutting procedure. And while that may initially save you money, it’ll do more harm than good in terms of the overall productivity of your employees. Not to mention that cheap clothing deteriorates quickly after a few washes and you’ll end up supplying your employees with new ones again. High-quality fabrics and accessories are not only more comfortable to wear, but they’re also more durable and can withstand everyday usage.

Although the costs may be higher, using high-quality materials can help foster an air of brand professionalism to your employees. Your clients will immediately notice how well-dressed your employees are and this can affect how your brand is perceived. So don’t skimp on clothing materials and buy the best ones you can afford from places like Bladon WA.

Choose the correct fabric

With a wide range of fabric types available, it can be quite confusing to select the right one for your corporate uniforms. Different fabrics can affect the look and feel of the clothing so make sure to do your research first. For example, cotton-blended filaments are lighter and allow more room for physical dexterity. It retains its shape quite easily which helps maintain the professional look of your employees throughout the day.

High blend polyester fabrics, on the other hand, feel cheap and inferior. It’s uncomfortable on the skin and is more prone to daily wear and tear. Your employees won’t feel too confident engaging with clients if their uniforms aren’t up to par. Some companies are using elastane which is an elastic polyurethane material that helps improve the fit of the clothing. Another popular fabric worth considering is a bamboo blend that offers superior comfort and breathability which is one of the best materials you can use for corporate uniforms.

Pay attention to your color schemes

Your choice of colors can affect the visibility of both your brand and your employees. Choose colors that best represent your company in terms of visual design. You’ll want to choose color schemes that are close to the ones you use on your company logo for coherence and simplicity. Don’t try to go too overboard on the colors though or else your employees might look like walking neon lights. Stick to light colors with good contrast as much as possible. If you use any bright colors in your logos, it’s a good idea to tone it down a bit when designing corporate uniforms to be a bit more pleasing to the eye.

If your employees work in retail, avoid muted colors when designing uniforms. This can make it harder for customers to identify your employees. Darker shades are applicable in industries such as assembly lines and mechanics where frequent stains are visible on their clothing. This helps maintain a neat appearance, especially in jobs that are intrinsically messy.

Designing corporate uniforms can be a bit of a challenge. There are a lot of factors to consider such as fit, comfort, materials, and the overall design. With these essential tips, you’ll be able to figure out how to create company workwear that’s not only aesthetic in appearance but also very comfortable when worn. Follow these tips to make the design process much easier.

Digital BrandingLegal BrandingPersonal Branding

9 Rules to Create an Awesome Business Website

on November 28, 2019

Table of contents

  • Introduction
  • 9 Rules to create an awesome business website
  1. Define your website’s purpose
  2. Pick an easy-to-remember domain
  3. Get an eye-catching logo
  4. Make your website mobile-friendly
  5. Keep the pages uncluttered
  6. Keep it easy to navigate
  7. Place your contact details above the fold
  8. Have a clean & compelling CTA
  9. Keep your website’s design simple
  • The final word

Introduction

In today’s fast-changing business ecosystem, an online presence is a must for any business — from brick-to-mortar. No matter whether you’re a seasoned business owner, if you have not created an effective website yet in this changing environment, you may lose significant business opportunities.

So no matter whether you’re just getting off or an established business owner having no online presence, building a website is inevitable. As per a recent study published by Bazaarvoice, online research greatly impacts the in-store shopping decisions. The report, The Robo Economy demonstrates that about 82 percent of smartphone users consult their phones on shopping they’re going to make in-store, while around 45 percent read reviews before they purchase.

Considering the latest shopping trends, having a business website to attract buyers is crucial to growing your business. But what are the fundamentals of creating one such website? For many business owners, creating a website seems daunting. They think that creating a website needs extraordinary skills and cutting-edge tools and technologies. But it’s not true. You’ll need to know just a few rules to create a powerful business website.

Here are the top 9 rules to create an awesome business website:

1. Define your website’s purpose

Before you go ahead with the website development, it’s important to identify the purpose of your website. What do want to achieve?

You must clearly understand what your USP (unique selling point) is and what is your plan to come across. Merely knowing your industry and determining the content strategy is not enough.

Once your fundament purpose is defined, your focus should shift towards determining the actions that you want from your visitors to take after they land on your site. Is the website just for information, or to sell products/services, or to get signups?

The answers to those questions will significantly give you an overall idea of how your website design should be.

2. Pick an easy-to-remember domain

Selecting a domain for your website is tricky. Your domain or web address should be so easy and sticky that anyone after seeing it can remember for a longer period. Don’t include any number as it can confuse surfers and dashes. Also, such web addresses are not SEO-friendly.

Pick a dot com domain as most people are familiar with this extension.

3. Get an eye-catching logo

Images and symbols are the most effective way of communicating your message. A logo, which is often called the face of the company, is crucial to convince your customers. People will make a perception of your company based on your logo. In fact, a logo should be one of the most essential branding investments. You must not create your logo design casually.

Apart, you should also take care of other graphic design elements of your website. If you’re not sure which graphic design and logo fit your business website, hire a professional graphic designer to get them done.

4. Make your website mobile-friendly

The number of Smartphone users worldwide is growing rapidly. As per the Statista, Generation Z shoppers use a Smartphone while making an in-store purchase. They use smartphones for comparing products’ features, prices, and reviews. Therefore, it becomes imperative to have a smartly designed mobile responsive website for your business if you plan to run a successful business venture.

5. Keep the pages uncluttered

Studies have suggested that website visitors love to read clear, precise and short information. A website having too much and irrelevant information, it simply diverts visitors’ mind which leads to increased bounce rate. Give ample blank space on your web pages to breathe in. Also, whitespace increases the readability of your copy. Make sure that text and graphics on your web page are in good proportion and present a clean page.

Brainstorm if your website really needs social widgets like Tweeter feed etc. If the widget content doesn’t meet your purpose, remove it right away to make your page clutter-free.

6. Keep it easy to navigate

Creating a different website by using attractive Flash presentations may look tempting, but it might be a little difficult for your customers to quickly find what they are looking for. Therefore, it’s always advised to take the medium route when it comes to your site navigation. You should use drop-down lists with clear headings which present on every page of your website, incorporate a site map and the search bar at the top right-hand side so that it can be easily traced.

7. Place your contact details above the fold

What’s the benefit of having a website if no one knows how to get in touch with you? Of course, such a website is of no use. In fact, a website must include a “Contact Us” tab on your home page. Make sure that the contact us page contains information such as your address, phone number / mobile number and email address so that your potential customers can easily reach you out should there be any business related query.

Also, put social media links, either at the header or footer, if you use social media to connect with clients.

8. Have a clean & compelling CTA

Once the visitors have found something interesting on your website, you would like them to take an action — buy a product/service, call, sign up or download. Make sure that all of your pages have relevant call-to-action buttons/links that are clear. Also, the area around the CTAs must be clutter-free. If possible, keep them above the fold so that visitors do not have to scroll down to find the call to action.

9. Keep your website’s design simple

Avoid using fonts, colors and animated gifs which you think can distract visitors from the focus point. Keep the paragraphs short and informative, the ideal length of a paragraph is less than six sentences. Also, use bullet points that draw readers’ attention thus increasing readability.

The final word

Having a website for every business is crucial in the present day shopping environment where most shoppers search online before they finally reach a buying decision. This article aims at guiding new entrepreneurs and established business owners with no online presence alike to create an awesome business website. I hope these 9 simple rules will guide you through the process.

Cheers!

About the author

Campbell Joef is a graphic designer and blogger associated with Designhill.com , a custom designs marketplace, I generally write on topics custom clothing, concerning design and education logo, ecommerce, start-ups, small business.

Legal BrandingPersonal Branding

Importance of ID Badges in Company Branding

on November 28, 2019

The use of ID badges in all companies regardless of how big, small, or what they do is highly recommended. Any company that is not using them is missing an opportunity to take its brand to higher marketing levels. These badges have a significant impact in brand creation and promotion. Beginners have a better opportunity to compete with big brands if their employees and visitors are wearing branded ID badges.

Preparing the Right ID Badge for Branding

It all starts by preparing the ID badge that your business deserves. The procedure requires innovative minds and a reputable design and printing expert.

The journey starts with the preparation of the company logo. The company theme colors should be maintained, but they should be vibrant and clear. A visible logo that strikes a balance between size and visibility is perfect.

You should utilize both sides of the ID badge when you want to brand your company. While the main face of these promotional badges should have the name of the employee and logo, the backside can have less important information like a bar code to access the doors. This will leave the front face for the logo and perhaps the company slogan.

Many people ignore the ID badge strap, but this is another opportunity to promote your brand. Although it should not be too wide, medium-width straps can also be printed with the company name and logo for more promotion.

The last consideration to make is to ensure that the ID badge is durable. Both the design and the material used play a significant role in this. Thus, working closely with reputable experts will be a benefit to this project.

Why ID Badges are Important in a Company

As mentioned, the primary goal is to increase brand recognition. Yes, any visitor or person who interacts with your employees will note your newly designed logo, slogan, message, or any other information. They can remember the name of the company once they see it on the badge. But this badge goes way beyond this.

  • Improves employee confidence – A good ID badge displays the identity and sometimes the title of the employee. As they work, they feel that they are an important part of the company. Therefore, they will serve the company with a high level of confidence. This creates an excellent brand ambassador in the long run.
  • Better customer relations – Both customers and employees relate well when there is an identity. Many customers feel better when they know the name of the employee who is serving them. Because the badge increases employee confidence, the level of customer satisfaction increases as well.

Conclusion

All companies should have an ID badge for all employees. They are an excellent brand promotional tool that serves many other purposes as well. As seen from the above insights, it is easy to create a useful ID badge design if you use reputable designers. When the project is completed, you will definitely enjoy the fruits that will come forth.

Legal BrandingLocal BrandingPersonal Branding

7 Tips for Becoming a Successful Brand Manager

on November 11, 2019

A career in marketing is one of the most lucrative ideas that an aspiring professional should have in the business world. Why? Well, because there are more enterprises out there than ever before and even one-person startups often need consultation services from renowned brand managers. Still, how does one become a brand manager or, even more importantly, how does one become successful and gains renown in this field? Well, here are the top seven tips for becoming a successful brand manager.

1. Get some formal education

The first thing you need to do in order to be taken seriously in this field or even get a chance is to get some form of formal education. At the very least, you need a Bachelor’s degree in a field that’s relevant to branding or marketing. So, business, administration, or science are your safest bets. Science is particularly effective, seeing as how an efficient brand manager spends so much time analyzing and interpreting harvested data. Also, make sure that the university that you go to has all the right reputation and accreditation. Otherwise, you might find yourself in a bit of a pickle. 

2. Develop a necessary skillset

As always, a degree can only get you so far. In order to really make it in the field, you need to possess the right skillset. When it comes to being a brand manager, you need to have great analytical skills and attention to detail. Also, you need to possess a thirst for knowledge and self-improvement, seeing as how trends evolve and new emerge on a daily basis. Then, you need to know how to do the right budgeting and be resourceful with the budget you have. Lastly, you need to be creative and possess the right team working (even leadership) skills. With all of this under your belt, you just can’t fail.

3. Get some experience in the field

The next thing you need to understand is that no one has ever started as a brand manager. Before that, you need some experience in the field, in the form of an entry-level job or at least an internship at the esteemed branding agency. Then, you need a letter of recommendation (or a couple of them) as well as a professional portfolio. Any major project that you’ve collaborated on needs to be listed. Even more importantly, you need to understand that you’re not really doing this for the portfolio. You’re doing it for experience, so try to learn something from each of these projects.

4. Get tech-savvy

Due to the fact that you’ll mostly work in a digital environment (via collaboration tool) and employ services of those from the same branch, it’s incredibly important that you get tech-savvy as quickly as possible. Your smartphone is your office and the more specialized tools you get to use, the greater your efficiency will be. Even your payments need to become smarter, which is why you might want to apply for  a payroll card. With so many freelancers and telecommuters on your retainer, managing all of their wages becomes so much easier this way.

5. Focus on networking

One of the most important things in the field of brand management is definitely networking. Why? Well, because you can’t manage a brand on your own. You need content writers, web designers, analyst specialists, social media managers, and more. Even if you do some of these things (for smaller projects) on your own, you still may need someone to ask for advice when going gets tough. In other words, start mingling with professionals from your industry.

6. Keep growing as a professional

The field of branding, marketing, and brand management in general, is the one that evolves quite rapidly. This means that you’ll have to follow journals, do independent research, and keep attending seminars, trade shows, and keep taking courses on new trends. Also, regardless of how long you spend in the field, you can always use it with a bit of mentoring from someone a tad more seasoned than you. This is why networking is so important and should never be neglected. Furthermore, every single one of these courses and seminars that you get crossed off your checklist should be listed on your resume and included in your portfolio.

7. Build a personal brand

Previously, we’ve talked about a formal education, experience in the field, and seminars that you need to attend in order to grow as a professional. Well, wrapping all of this up in a unique nice-looking package can be even more important. What you need to bear in mind is the fact that building a personal brand takes time and patience. First of all, you need to make your own website, start a blog (this is paramount), and start producing some niche-relevant content. This establishes you as an authority within the field. You can also leverage your social media influence by being active on your social media profiles. Needless to say, LinkedIn always takes precedence.

Conclusion

In the end, one of the things you need to consider is actually talking to a brand manager and inquiring about their experience in the field. Ask them to tell you the truth about what it’s like, seeing as how it’s not an easy career path to tread upon. Only when you’re 100 percent certain should you proceed with some of these steps.

Local BrandingPersonal Branding

8 Outstanding Customer Service Tips

on October 30, 2019

Having outstanding customer service is the best way to make your business stand out from the competition and keep customers loyal and buying your products. If you want to ensure that you are giving the best that you can, follow the tips listed below.

1. Know Your Products

This may seem like a given, but you may be surprised at you and your staff’s inability to answer some of your customer’s most common questions. Before you are able to offer outstanding customer service, make sure you and all your employees know the products inside and out and can anticipate and answer any questions that might arise.

2. Have Trained Staff

Every person on your team should know what is expected of them when they interact with customers. Even if it’s not in their job description to have contact with customers on a daily basis, you never know when they might have to fulfill this role. Make sure they know how to talk to and act around customers. This will ensure that customers get the best service no matter who they talk to on your staff.

3. Be Respectful

Often, when a person is dealing with customer service, there will be emotions involved. That person might be upset or disappointed about your product or service, and they may not be able to keep themselves under control. When you and your employees deal with this person, be respectful of the customer’s position and don’t let you or your employee’s emotions make the situation worse.

The goal is to make the customer feel better about what happened—they may not always walk away happy, but they should walk away in a better mood when they approached. It can be hard to deal with an emotional individual, but if you and your employees stay calm and cool, this will ensure that the problem can be worked out without anyone else getting upset.

4. Listen

Listening to your customers is one of the most important aspects of giving outstanding service. Not only does it involve hearing what they are saying, but it also means taking into account their tone and body language. These can giveaway that the customer is upset, and listening to what they have to say will help you find the best solution to their problem.

5. Be Responsive

It can be incredibly frustrating and upsetting for a customer to be looking for service and be denied. Whether they are trying to talk to someone in person, on the phone, or online, the longer they have to wait, the more their emotions are going to take over. It’s better to let them know that someone isn’t available at the moment but will get back to them as soon as possible than to just leave them hanging. It still might make your customers upset, but at least they’ll know that someone will be getting back to them.

Of course, you can’t just say that someone will be getting back to them and not follow through. Make sure the customer is contacted in the promised timeframe to deliver outstanding customer service and make them happy.

6. Correct Customers the Right Way

There was a point in time when the motto was that the customer was always right. This led to a lot of problems and people who felt entitled—even though they weren’t. When a customer calls in to get service and you or your employees know they have been misinformed, make sure to correct them in the right way.

Consider saying something like, “I would really like to help you, but you have been given some incorrect information.” This lets them know that you will still work with them and opens them up to the correct information.

7. Get Feedback

If you really want to know how to improve your customer service, ask the customers directly. You can do this through surveys or by having ScoutMI Mystery Shopping come in and scout out the place. This will let you know what is being done right and what needs to be improved.

8. Be Kind

The most important thing you can do to have outstanding customer service is to be kind. It takes no effort to say nice things and make a customer feel good, but it can have a lasting and mood-changing impact.

Legal BrandingLocal BrandingPersonal Branding

3 Most Important Tips for Positioning a New Brand in a Fast-changing Market

on October 29, 2019

Modern business world is full of buzzwords we’ve all heard, though we may not always know exactly what they mean. “Positioning” is definitely one of those that people often use, without actually knowing its right meaning or what it entails. Basically, it refers to trying to find a place for your brand in the minds of your customers, who would hopefully choose products offered by the same brand they’ve learned to love and trust. While positioning takes place, it’s one of those things you should start working on as soon as you set up a company. To help you understand what that means, we’ve prepared the following tips, which should help you do it properly.

Know the competition and market

Each company has its strengths and weaknesses and your task is to find those that belong to your competitors. Once you identify them, you can move to analyze their strategies, objectives and target groups and identifying the niche which you could dominate. Equally important is to know your target audience and market, so that you could create valuable content that would not be just advertising your brand, but also providing value and engagement. The more engaged people are, the more likely they are to opt for the brand whose messages they respond to. When addressing your audience, make sure you insist on your unique selling point(s), so that you can distinguish your company from the rest. Finally, don’t expect everyone to love your company, but focus on your target audience. They will be your most loyal and faithful customers and it’s vital you position your brand among them as the one that provides the most for the money they’re ready to spend.

Focus on USP

No-one will opt for a product that offers the same as a similar, already well-established competitor’s product. Customers have to believe they are buying not only the product but some other unique feature as well when choosing your product over a competitor’s. That’s why you need to focus on all useful attributes of your brand, especially if other companies lack them. It could be your more favorable price, outstanding client care or coverage. Companies operating in Australia, for example, understand that locals react to specific strategies, which is why they turn to experts in the field and hire a brand design agency from Sydney, which can help them position their brand in the best possible way locally. Remember that what works well in one market doesn’t have to be the best option elsewhere, which is why it’s important to pinpoint the particular demands of local markets.

Nothing is carved in stone

What you really need to understand is that no strategy is unchangeable. As a matter of fact, you have to constantly revise and adapt your strategy, since the conditions in which you operate are changing. That means that even if you’ve opted for the right approach from the beginning and you see that you’re getting the results you were hoping for, there is no time for rest. Your strategy needs to be tested constantly and continuously. This includes harvesting data from surveys, groups, and interviews and processing them in a way that you receive some valuable information, which will be the cornerstone of your adapted strategy. What this will help you achieve is position your brand as a forward-thinking one, which is always ready to meet the demands of the market, rather than one which takes its time to respond to the ever-changing shifts in consumers’ preferences and priorities.

If you position your brand correctly, i.e. apply the right positioning strategy in the right way, your brand recognition and awareness will be truly well established. Your particular strategy will depend on the circumstances in which you operate and your niche. However, it’s vital that you constantly monitor the situation and adapt your strategy to maximize the results. These three tips will surely help you with that.

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